Why Make the Effort to Design Accessible Pages?

Federal laws mandating equal access for the disabled may soon apply to the Internet and Web. While Graphical User Interface or GUI operating systems (e.g., Windows, Mac, X Windows for UNIX, etc.) and browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc.) have made it easier for most people to use a computer and get on the Internet, they have actually made it harder in some respects for those with disabilities. When you develop "electronic curbcuts" for people with disabilities to circumvent their website access problems, you are not only being pro-active but also extending the reach of your information to a host of different types of users you may not have considered. For example:

Users of text-based browsers (like Lynx, DOSLynx, W3, CERN Line Mode Browser, etc.), may include:

• Those with older/slower computers, slow modems, and color monitors with limited numbers of colors.
• Those whose computers have limitations of RAM, clock speed, or graphics capacity (ATA).
• Those who subscribe to some "free nets".
• Those who connect to the internet via dumb terminals.
• Those more interested in content, speed and connect charges than graphics.
• Those interested in fast searches. (Yahoo and Alta Vista have text mode equivalents that greatly speed up the processing). (Murphy, 1996)
• Repeat visitors, particularly those who visit a site frequently.
• Those whose graphical browsers do not support the same features as the browser on which the site was developed.
• The color blind who may prefer having a consistent, high contrast text and background combination.
• Those using screen readers, such as:
  • the visually impaired who do not read Braille (and most don't!).
  • the visually impaired who do read Braille but have difficulty adapting to the eight-dot/cell readout of Braille computer displays (when the usual printed cell is six-dot).
  • the learning disabled who may have difficulty with print comprehension or in understanding icons.
  • the physically challenged who have limited mobility. It may be difficult or impossible for them to use a standard input device like a mouse or keyboard and some screen readers come equipped with voice activation.
  • those who have low literacy skills.
  • those who understand spoken English as their second language but have not mastered reading it.
• Users of graphical browsers with in-line graphics NOT displayed may include:
  • Those with slow modems and low-end monitors.
  • Those more interested in content, speed and connect charges than graphics, choosing to turn images off.
  • Those with helper applications missing.
  • Those with chronically low vision who are not in need of a screen reader or who do not have access to the screen reader software and speech synthesizer.
• Users who want enlarged type may include:
  • Senior citizens.
  • Those with temporary vision-altering medical conditions or who are on certain medications.
  • Those with chronically low vision who are not in need of a screen reader or who do not have access to the screen reader software and speech synthesizer.
• Users who want high contrast type may include:
  • Those with chronically low vision who have problems:
    • perceiving subtle contrast differences
    • perceiving differences in depth
    • using size-coded information
    • discriminating fonts
    • locating and/or tracking pointers, cursors, drop targets, hot spots
    • manipulating graphical objects
  • Those with color blindness
  • Those subject to eye strain or sensitivity to glare
• Users who want text descriptions of audio files may include:
  • Those without audio capability in their computer.
  • Those with helper applications missing.
  • Those without headsets in environments where quiet should be maintained (such as libraries and learning laboratories).
  • Those in noisy environments who may not be able to hear oral information.
  • The hearing impaired.
• Users who want text descriptions of video files may include:
  • Those interested in previewing a video's content before downloading it. (A text description - even a verbatim transcript - can generally be downloaded in much less time than a video file).
    • Those with slow modems or access time limits.
    • Those interested in speed and connect charges.
  • Those employing web searches to find specific content. Captioning can be indexed and searched just like other text whereas video cannot.
  • The visually impaired.
• Users who want graphics with accompanying text AND audio files may include:
  • Those with attention, memory, reading or cognitive impairments who have problems:
    • reading without also hearing the screen read aloud (dyslexia)
    • discerning the function of a graphical object without a text label (IBM).